Signs and Symptoms of Vestibular Disease
The vestibular system is responsible for helping your dog maintain normal balance, so as you can imagine, when its not working properly there are some pretty obvious signs to keep an eye out for. These symptoms occur suddenly and the condition most commonly affects older dogs.
The first sign many owners notice is a sudden loss of balance. This is sometimes described as your dog acting as if theyre a drunken sailor on a boat in rough seas — their head tilts to one side, theyre unsteady on their feet and may fall over, and they tend to circle in one direction or may even roll along the floor.
There are a few other signs to look out for as well. One of those is abnormal, irregular jerking eye movements known as nystagmus, while many dogs will also become disorientated or confused. A reluctance to stand or walk is common, and the dizziness will often lead to nausea or vomiting.
Seeing your previously perfectly healthy pet suddenly develop such extreme symptoms can be distressing to say the least, and youll no doubt be eager to get your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Veterinary attention is essential, but the good news is that the condition will often go away of its own accord.
Your dogs body language could contain telltale clues that they are suffering from vestibular disease. Signs to keep an eye out for include:
Other signs to look for include:
Many veterinarians offer referral to get the best opinion about where the disease is located. Once this is determined, the most appropriate test may become obvious allowing for more accurate and rapid treatment. Another common reason for referral is the suspicion that the disease may be in the brain and therefore, life threatening. Timely advanced testing followed by specific therapy, can be the difference between life and death.
Pets with vestibular disease walk as if they are drunk because they side step, lean, or stumble to one side. Poor balance is called vestibular disease because the receptors that sense movement and head position are located in the vestibule of the inner ear. Information from these receptors runs along the vestibular nerve into the brain. The brain then processes this information to make adjustments in head and body position. The cause of vestibular disease can be from a problem in the brain or a problem in the nerve. Disease located in the brain is often called central while disease of the nerve is called peripheral. Nerve or peripheral disease is generally self-limiting or easily treated; however, disease of the brain can be life threatening, especially when left untreated. A careful examination will indicate the location and therefore the seriousness of the disease.
GME is inflammation (more white blood cells than normal) in the brain, meninges or spinal cord in the absence of infection or a brain tumor. GME is theorized to be an immune disease where the immune system attacks the nervous system. GME often involves the balance center of the brain and many patients have several of the signs of central disease listed on the front. MRI and CSF analysis and a high index of suspicion are often required to make a diagnosis of GME. If the patient is not rapidly deteriorating, infectious disease tests and an antibiotic trial are ideally done to rule-out an infectious cause. GME can be rapidly progressive and about 10% of pets do not survive their initial manifestation of the disease. There are many new drugs for GME which are allowing more dogs to do well. The current 1 year survival rate for this disease is about 70% with many patients living longer, normal lives while on medication. A rapid diagnosis improves the odds of being able to survive the initial symptoms and go on to live well. × Atlanta, GA (678) 400-0042
Vestibular disease or poor balance is a sign of brain or nerve disease and can happen to any pet. The good news is that many of the causes of vestibular disease are very responsive to treatment; however, some causes are life-threatening. Therefore, if your pet has vestibular disease, achieving a rapid diagnosis can be very important. This information will help you understand what may be the cause of your pet’s balance problem.
Encephalitis means that there is inflammation of the brain – it does not imply that the cause of the inflammation is known. Encephalitis can be infectious or non-infectious. Encephalitis is more common in small dogs, younger than 8 years of age, but any dog or cat can get the disease. The diagnosis is often made using MRI, spinal fluid analysis and infectious disease tests. A rapid, specific diagnosis provides for the best treatment and outcome of this life-threatening disease.
What Are the Symptoms of Vestibular Disease in Dogs?
A dogâs vestibular system is composed of portions of the brain and ear and is responsible for maintaining balance. When something goes wrong within this system, itâs like being drunk on a rocky boat. Dogs with idiopathic vestibular disease typically show some combination of the following signs:
Now for the caveat: These clinical signs are unfortunately not unique or diagnostic for vestibular disease. These symptoms are also very similar to signs of a canine stroke, which is caused by a blockage in the blood vessels reducing oxygen in the brain. Other things can cause these same symptoms such as a brain tumor, an inner ear infection, inflammatory disease, or sudden brain bleeds â to name a few. The sudden onset of vestibular disease and a seizure can also be hard to tell apart. If your dog is experiencing these symptoms and the diagnosis is unclear, do your best to record the episode and show it to your vet so they can closely examine the signs.